Lawyer says man who shot rapper Benzino acted in self-defense

Monday

Mar 31, 2014 at 9:58 AMMar 31, 2014 at 5:18 PM

An attorney for alleged shooter Gai Scott said at court Monday that Scott acted in self defense. He's charged with shooting his uncle and rapper Raymond "Benzino" Scott during a funeral procession on Route 3 in Duxbury on Saturday. Gai Scott was arraigned Monday.

Lane Lambert The Patriot Ledger @llambert_ledger

PLYMOUTH -- A Randolph man who allegedly shot and wounded his rapper and reality TV star uncle amid a weekend funeral procession on Route 3 will be back in a Plymouth court Wednesday, for a hearing to decide if he’s too dangerous to be given bail.

Gai Scott, 36, is charged with assault with intent to murder in the Saturday shooting of Raymond “Benzino” Scott of Mansfield.

The alleged shooting occurred on Route 3 southbound, near exit 10 to Duxbury. Raymond Scott was taken to South Shore Hospital in Weymouth.

Gai Scott pleaded innocent Monday at a brief initial arraignment in Plymouth District Court. He’s being held without bail in the Plymouth County jail.

Handcuffed and clad in a black and blue athletic shirt, Scott showed no emotion as he stood in the courtroom dock, flanked by three court officers.

After the arraignment, Scott’s attorney Jon Ciraulo of Quincy said “When the dust settles, it will be abundantly clear that Mr. Scott is a licensed gun owner and was acting in self-defense.”

Plymouth County prosecutor Amanda Fowle declined comment.

The shooting occurred a few minutes before noon, a mile north of the Duxbury exit. State Police were alerted by several 911 calls from motorists.

A weekend statement from Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz said both men were in separate cars on the highway. Cruz said Gai Scott was in the procession headed to the funeral for Raymond Scott’s mother at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Plymouth.

The DA declined to say whether Raymond Scott's vehicle was in the procession. He did say there had been “growing family tension” involving the two men.

The funeral was handled by Keohane Funeral Home of Quincy. Cruz said that “at some point when the cars were side by side,” Gai Scott allegedly fired several shots as his vehicle pulled alongside the Dodge SUV that Raymond Scott was driving.

Raymond Scott got out of the SUV and into another vehicle driven by his aunt. That vehicle then took Scott to the Duxbury police station. From there he was taken by ambulance to South Shore Hospital in Weymouth.

Scott was shot twice. On Sunday Scott said from his hospital room that he was “feeling much better." A hospital spokeswoman said Monday afternoon that he'd been discharged.